


Only the Departed Reunite

by thatsbuckedup



Series: Wilted Sunflower [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: AtsuHina, Fluff, M/M, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:08:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28623831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatsbuckedup/pseuds/thatsbuckedup
Summary: The first game of the season kicks off as the Jackals face the Adlers in Sendai, Miyagi. Hinata also reunites with a few former friends, a family member, and spends some time with Atsumu...
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu
Series: Wilted Sunflower [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2087616
Comments: 6
Kudos: 96





	Only the Departed Reunite

**Author's Note:**

> Atsuhina content as promised. More to come!  
> H.

The Jackals have been flying through their first six weeks of training. Now that the season has officially started, they’ve been putting in double the effort while making sure their bodies are getting the proper rest and attention they need. 

With the first match around the corner, they’re raring to go to face the Adlers in Sendai, Miyagi. It’s the game Hinata has been chomping at the bit to play. Mostly because it’ll be the first time he gets to compete against Kageyama since middle school. 

In his mind, he pictures the perfect game on the bus ride up to the city; how he’s going to try and nail all his spikes, what the most flawless receive looks like, all the digs he’s going to make...he thinks of it all. 

And the long overnight bus ride from Osaka to Sendai couldn’t have gone any smoother. Everyone managed to get some decent shut eye before unloading early in the morning after at their hotel. 

“Is it just me or is the air thinner here?” Inunaki sits down on top of his suitcase as they all wait in the lobby. 

“We’ve played here in the past, how are you only _just_ noticing this now?” Meian questions. 

“I don’t think about these things sometimes, okay?!” 

“Makes sense, the altitude is different from what we’re used to,” Sakusa smartly replies. 

One of the team's assistants went around handing out their hotel key cards. After their last team meeting in Osaka before they left the city, they were already told who they would be rooming with. To Atsumu’s utter and total despair, Hinata was put with Sakusa and Bokuto was put with Atsumu. 

“An’ he snores,” Atsumu complains to Hinata about the matter on the elevator ride up to their floor. 

“I am _literally_ right here!” Bokuto scolds him. “Anyways, don’t even get me started on _you_ because at least I don’t sleep talk!”

Atsumu’s jaw drops, “what tha hell? I don’t sleep talk!”

“Yes you do,” Thomas butts in. “I told Foster not to _ever_ put me in a room with Atsumu again because he _does_ actually talk in his sleep.”

“I have heard you sleep talk before Atsumu-san,” Hinata chimes in. 

“Once again, m’always the victim of bullyin’ in this team.” 

After dropping their bags off in their rooms they were spared half an hour to settle in. Then, they were dressed in their practice gear, hopping back on the bus to head to the arena for a light practice. Sitting on the bus overnight calls for a decent stretch and exercise, especially for athletes. 

When Hinata finally gets to see the arena, a wave of nostalgia hits him. He’s made it this far in his volleyball career, a sport that has become his life, _and he’s just starting to get more fired up._

A one and a half hour training session, lunch at a restaurant nearby shouted by Foster, and a nap back at the hotel later, game time had rolled around. Dressed in their gold and black tracksuits with their uniforms on underneath, they’re ready to go. 

Hinata’s sports bag was already packed; extra socks, a _second_ pair of shoes, a post-game snack, phone, headphones, two electrolyte drink sachets, and two towels. Sakusa’s bag replicated Hinata’s, only he had hand sanitizer and masks readily available for when they left. 

Shortly after, the team were back at the arena only this time, it was much more crowded. People lining up in front of the entrance, some parading in Adler gear, others rivalling it by sporting Jackal merchandise. 

As they make their way through a separate entrance, Hinata spots a few fans wearing white and navy blue Adler shirts with the name _‘Kageyama’_ written on the back. Something about it reminds Hinata that he is _actually_ here and it’s inflaming, adding to his untameable excitement.

“Hey Tsum Tsum, your brothers over there!” Bokuto points before they head into the Jackals' designated changing rooms. 

Not too far from the corridor they were standing in, is a long line of stalls selling different kinds of goods. Onigiri Miya happened to be one of them.

 _“He is?”_ Atsumu pops his head around the corner to see for himself. “Bastard. Why the hell did he not tell me?”

Osamu was in fact there with a few other employees of his, setting up the stall. As Bokuto heads into the changing room with the others, Atsumu goes over to confront his brother with Hinata at his side. 

“Gee thanks fer tellin’ me ya were comin’ to watch my game,” Atsumu says to him. 

Osamu contorts his face, setting a box down at his feet, “who said I was? M’here to sell onigiri, not watch ya slip an' miss a serve.” 

Atsumu knows that what Osamu is saying is just to piss him off, and it’s working. Luckily Hinata quickly reminds Atsumu not to misbehave since they’re in uniform _and_ in public. 

“Stick around after the match if yer game enough to fight me,” Atsumu points at him and warns. 

“What are we sixteen again? Hinata, take him away will ya? He’s scarin’ away my customers.” 

Atsumu takes a step forward but no more than that when Hinata pulls him back by his jacket and steers him to the changing room with a grin on his face. After that, he heads back out to use the bathroom when someone yells out to him.

 _“Oi,_ what took you so long?”

Hinata turns around, smirking. 

Kageyama stands at the other end of the corridor and a sudden charge of excitement shoots through Hinata. It’s been a long time since they’ve seen each other last and so much has happened since then. 

Kageyama’s gotten a little bit taller, yet his attitude and demeanour still fits him well. Be that as it may, Hinata is nothing but happy to see his friend. 

“I was busy working on trying to take you down, hope you’re ready,” Hinata replies. 

Kageyama chuckles, “what two years? It's taken you long enough hasn’t it?”

“Just you wait! You won’t know what’s going to hit you!” He snarls back.

Their fiery reunion ended when Sakusa peeked from behind the door to the Jackals' changing room. He thought he could hear some sort of commotion going on. 

“What are you doing?” He asks Hinata. 

“Just catching up with Kageyama-kun,” he answers. 

Sakusa hums in displeasure, “you better get in here, our pregame meeting is starting soon. And _you,_ you have your own changing room.” 

“That’s where I was heading but Hinata called out to me.”

Sakusa makes another noise of vexation, mainly directed at Kageyama. It’s not that Sakusa doesn’t like him, if anything he respects him very highly as a player. However, they _are_ on different teams. In his eyes, he’s a rival which can sometimes make his hostility go through the roof.

Hinata snaps up at Kageyama, “liar! I did not! It was _you_ who called out to me first!”

“S’alright Omi-kun,” another head pops out from behind the door. “Meeting’s not fer another ten minutes.” 

“Miya-san,” Kageyama greets.

“How’s it goin’ Tobio-kun?” 

“Good, thank you. You?” 

He grins slyly, _“very well I have ta say._ Ya know ever since Shoyo-kun joined us, I couldn’t be more happier.”

“I see,” Kageyama replies, hoping that his tone of voice didn’t come across as pissed off as he was inside. 

“Anyways, we’re gonna kick your ass today, so be ready,” Hinata confidently says.

Kageyama scoffs, “whatever. If it’s taken you two years to get good then I don’t feel so threatened.”

Atsumu puts his arm around Hinata and directs them both back to the changing rooms. But just to sting Kageyama where it hurts, Atsumu turns around and says to him,

“Ya know, if that crown on yer head is getting’ too heavy, ya might wanna take it off.”

Hinata surpasses a laugh and nudges Atsumu in the ribs with his elbow, _“oi!”_

Kageyama glares, more so than usual. _Another one of Atsumu’s idioms._ He remembers being called a ‘goody two shoes’ back at their first youth camp by Atsumu, but _this_ one was even more annoying. 

And it was all Hinata’s fault for telling Atsumu in the first place about Kageyama’s _King of the Court_ nickname. When Atsumu first called him King, the only suspect he had in mind of who told him was Hinata.

Hinata and Kageyama reunite when they’re playing against each other on court. With the first set in favour of the Jackals, Hinata and Atsumu had put in the godlike quick attack that they had been running into the ground during practices making sure it was perfect. And it most definitely was - beautiful, in fact to watch as it sent Sendai arena into a confused yet astonished frenzy. 

As the original pioneers of the godlike quick, it sure doesn’t fail to piss Kageyama off, seeing it being used by someone else. There’s a sense of gratification cascading through Atsumu when Kageyama failed to receive the quick. It’s just as satisfying as a team not expecting it at all. 

It’s like taking something from Kageyama and using it against his will, making Atsumu hungry for that same satiable feeling. 

The game ran to four sets and as the first match of the season was done and dusted, the Jackals came out on top with the Adlers only stealing a single set. Despite it being an away game, there’s more intensity from the crowd than the Jackals had ever heard. 

As the fresh win sets in, Atsumu doesn’t realise it but at some point, Hinata is in his arms. For some reason, it feels like they’ve just won the championship and in the heat of the moment, Atsumu plants a kiss on Hinata’s cheek. 

Neither of them cared how sweaty they were, they were just taken away with the atmosphere and so were the Jackals. 

The last person to hit the showers in the Jackals designated changing rooms is Hinata. He was _bombarded_ by interviewers that even one of the team's publicists assigned to him struggled to keep up with them all. 

Still ringing from his first game, Hinata does his best to answer as many questions as adequately as possible. But he also had something else on his agenda after the interviews were over.

 _“Dai-san! Azumane-san! Suga-san!!!”_ Hinata calls out. 

He bounds and leaps over the folded sponsor cards surrounding the court, racing over to see some of his close friends from high school who had stayed behind. Kageyama had already beaten him over there after his team finished their stretches. 

Hinata wasn’t surprised to see them all there. They had always been supportive of him since the very beginning and he also now knows why the crowd was so loud.

“Hinata, welcome back!” Suga exclaims happily. “Man you’ve gotten so damn good!”

“Thank you so much!” 

“You guys played well out there,” Daichi comments proudly to Hinata and Kageyama who thanked him as well. 

“That was so scary to watch too,” Asahi chuckles nervously. 

Throughout most of the game, Asahi spent some of it thinking about how lucky he was _not_ to be playing at that kind of stage. Everyone in that league is a beast...and slightly insane. 

“So, in the end you _were_ crazy enough to go overseas, come back and play at this kind of level?” Tsukishima retorts, standing next to Yamaguchi who wore a look of sympathy on his face. 

“Of course I was. You weren’t expecting anything else _were_ you?” Hinata asks.

“Not really.”

“Where’s Noya-san?” Kageyama questions. 

“Ah, he’s in Italy at the moment,” Asahi replied, showing them all a photo that Noya sent him on his phone.

“No way!” Hinata gasps, “maybe he can teach Kageyama-kun some Italian when goes over there.”

Tsukishima smirks. 

Kageyama snarls, _“shut up.”_

He laughs, indulging in the moment where he can reminisce with some of the people that motivated Hinata to get him to where he is now. 

It doesn’t feel like it was that long ago, where they were all standing in this very arena after Karasuno booked their first trip back to nationals. 

“Who are you guys playing next?” Daichi asks.

“We’re playing the Hornets here again next week,” Kageyama answers. 

“And we’ve got a home game against EJP,” Hinata says before he hears his name being called out. 

Walking halfway across the court towards him was Atsumu. _“We’re headin’ off soon!”_

 _“Ooh hold on!_ There’s someone who I want you to meet!” Hinata calls back out to him then turns to his friends. “Thanks for coming to watch us!” 

“We’ll be watching _all_ of your games, you know that right? So you’ll be seeing us around a lot,” Suga smiles, folding his arms. 

“Yeah, so both of you keep doing your best! _And you too Tsukishima, your games start next week and we’ll be here to watch and cheer you on,”_ Daichi says sternly. 

His authoritative manner still hasn’t altered much. He really was fit to be a police officer. 

“Oh actually, our game is in Kyushu next week so you don’t have to come,” Tsukishima quickly says. 

“Stop lying,” Suga calls him out. “And stop growing too, _geez_ what are you 6’3 now?” 

“Tsuki’s actually 6’4,” Yamaguchi points out. 

He groans, _“Tadashi…”_

“I’ll be watching too!” Hinata exclaims before meeting Atsumu at the edge of the court. 

“It’s that old _annoying_ middle blocker partner of yers,” Atsumu’s harsh words didn’t match the fact that he was waving out to him with a sweet smile on his face. 

Tsukishima ticks his head up in response while the others wave out to Atsumu. 

“You know he thinks _you’re_ annoying too right?” Hinata whispers quietly.

Atsumu chuckles through gritted teeth, stepping over the sponsor cards, “maybe I should go over there an’ lecture him about why he shouldn’t call people older than him annoying.” 

Before he gets another word in, Hinata bars Atsumu with an arm extended out, “nope, come on! I told her to wait for me after the game.” 

_“Her?_ What ya girlfriend?” 

Atsumu doesn’t exactly know why _those_ particular words just came out of his mouth. Either way, he couldn’t figure out who _‘her’_ was. Not until Hinata latched onto Atsumu’s wrist and dragged him along the perimeter of the court where the press usually stands. 

He sees a very familiar person - not someone who he’s seen in real life, but heard about from Hinata. She doesn’t even need to turn for Atsumu to see who he was going on about. 

“Atsumu-san, this is my little sister Natsu, Natsu this is Atsumu-san,” Hinata introduces them both to each other. 

“Hey! Nice to meet you! I’ve seen you on TV before,” she exclaims loudly. 

Atsumu’s first impression of Hinata Natsu: _she’s definitely a lot like Shoyo-kun; orange hair, similar height, same eye colour..._

“You as well, and ya have? When was that?” He asked. 

“Yeah, you were the guy who slipped going to serve during that Jackals fan event,” she laughs. 

“Natsu!” Hinata quickly scolds her. 

“I think the whole nation saw that…” Atsumu scrunches up his face in embarrassment, the very thought of it was painful enough. 

“But I also know that you were the cute guy nii-chan was texting when-”

Hinata’s hand flies over his sister's mouth, “that’s enough for today I think! We're leaving shortly so I'll see you next time I’m in Sendai alright?” 

Natsu whines, _“fine._ It was nice to finally meet you Atsumu-san!” 

“You too! Hope to see ya around!”

Hinata threw his arms around his sister despite her protests about him being all sweaty before he heads off across the court with Atsumu. 

“So…” Atsumu trails off. Hinata sends him a look.

“ _Don’t_ you dare start-”

“-cute guy huh?” He interrupts. 

“Shut up,” Hinata tries to suppress a smile as he whacks at Atsumu’s chest, making their way to the changing rooms to shower and get dressed. 

The next time the team is all gathered together is in one of the conference rooms back at the hotel. It’s important for them to analyse the game they just played in order to see what they need to improve on and what went well.

“That spike you did in the third set, are you left handed?” Sakusa asks Hinata from across the ovular table they were seated at, waiting for their Coach, trainers and assistants to arrive. 

Hinata shakes his head, “nope - right handed, but I did learn how to spike with my left.” 

“That was so sick by the way! Did you see Ushijima’s face! I think he realised that he’s no longer the only lefty in the business!” Barnes ruffles Hinata’s hair as he walks past to sit at the table. 

_“Oh god,_ ya should’ve seen _all_ of their faces. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Tobio-kun or Korai-kun look so pissed off an’ impressed at the same time,” Atsumu emphasises.

Hinata flutters inside from the compliments, reminding him that all his hard work is starting to pay off. 

“That took me by surprise too,” Meian speaks up. 

When the staff arrive, their meeting finally begins and Atsumu can’t seem to keep still. Instead of listening to the teams spike and block statistics one of their trainers brought up, Atsumu is replaying moments of the game in his head.

He should be focused. Though, Atsumu is too self-aware of his own behaviour and it doesn’t surprise him in the slightest. All except for the person sitting next to him.

Hinata has noticed that Atsumu’s knee has been bobbing up under the table for the last twenty minutes of their meeting. He’s all twitchy, fidgeting with his fingers as well. 

“Last note before I let you all go; the replay will be sent to your emails for you to watch over before our next game against Raijin. Alright, good start to the season, eat a good meal, rest - you all know your recovery plans by now,” Foster tells them. 

It wasn’t until after the meeting when Hinata approached Atsumu. 

“Are you alright Atsumu-san? You seem a bit unsettled.” 

“Mmm,” he hums. All the adrenaline buzzing around his body with nowhere to go makes Atsumu feel like he could play another match. “M’okay, jus’...I always have trouble windin’ down from a game - especially that one fer some reason.” 

Hinata thinks of something then suggests to him, “do you wanna go for a walk? Walking always helps me clear my mind if it’s a bit noisy.”

“Yeah, yeah actually that would be good Shoyo-kun,” Atsumu admits with relief.

When Atsumu agreed to go on a walk with Hinata, he wasn’t expecting to hop on a train at Sendai Station and get off twelve minutes later at another station. A walk around the city would’ve done him justice but Hinata explained to him that it was better to get away from all the artificial noise. 

_Man he takes these things so seriously._ Not that Atsumu thinks it’s wrong however. It just goes to show how thorough Hinata is when it comes to his well-being. Atsumu finds the sense in it that if his head is loud, a louder city isn’t going to help calm him down. 

Surely enough, when they depart the station, they start strolling. Atsumu lets Hinata lead the way since technically this is his city even though he grew up in the countryside. But he seems to know where he was going as he ends up taking Atsumu down to Katahira Park, adjacent to Hirose River. 

There's old rusty swings, overgrown grass, unused public exercise machines and undoubtedly a few people walking around here and there too. They walk along the outskirts of the semi-corroded steel fence, overlooking the other side of the city separated by the river. 

“You’ll have to take me to where ya grew up whenever we get more time to spend here in Miyagi,” Atsumu says to him. Hinata would love nothing more. 

“Only if you promise to show me around Hyogo.”

Atsumu grins, “hell, don’t even hafta tell me twice.”

“Good. I expect the full tour as well; where _you_ grew up, your favourite spot, favourite restaurant, favorite... _tree-_ ” 

“Favourite tree?” Atsumu sputters out. 

“I was running out of _‘favourites’_ alright?” Hinata says. 

“Got it. I’ll show ya ‘round Hyogo s’long as I receive the same treatment when we come back to here, then I have zero complaints.”

Atsumu has _never_ taken anyone back to Hyogo. He reckons it’s quite an intimate thing; showing someone physical places that house a lot of valuable memories. He's quite attached to where he's from which is why he hasn't left the region. Atsumu doesn’t admit it, but he is quite soft-hearted when it comes to this kind of stuff. 

Though, he would take Hinata to Hyogo _without question._ Hinata wants to go to Atsumu’s favourite restaurant? He’ll book a table in advance. He wants to see where his favourite spot is in the prefecture? _Sorted, he knows exactly where it is._

Before long, the two continue their slow walk down the grassy track near the river when Atsumu is taken by the surroundings. Birds chirping in the trees, a gentle wind, Hinata’s voice…it definitely beats being in the center of the city.

Sure enough, today’s game drowns out of Atsumu’s head. All he focuses on is what Hinata is talking about. 

“I found out about this place when I went to an open day at Tohoku University not too far from here,” Hinata explains to him. 

“I remember ya tellin’ me that ya wanted to go to university or at least thinkin’ about goin’,” he recalls back to one of their phone call conversations from when Hinata was in his third year. Atsumu at that point had just signed with the Jackals. 

Hinata is surprised that Atsumu even remembers that. It was two years ago and they’ve talked about so much in between that time and now. Unaware of it, the corners of Hinata’s mouth lift. 

There’s nothing worse than reminding someone of something when they've clearly forgotten or just weren't listening in the first place; saying to them _‘remember, I told you about it the other day’,_ and they have absolutely no clue what you’re talking about. 

To Hinata, it was sort of rude when people do that. Like it’s almost implying that what they said was never that important to start with. Almost like listening was a complete waste of time. 

Atsumu _wasn’t_ like that, not with Hinata. Give him a date since the day he started talking to him and he would be able to tell anyone _exactly_ what they talked about. That’s why Hinata smiled even though it’s the most minute thing in the world. To him, what he said never felt like a waste of time.

Hinata and Atsumu stroll around for another forty five minutes, never running out of things to discuss, and taking three dozens of photos. They returned back to the hotel by train again where Hinata went into Atsumu’s room rather than his own where Sakusa had been texting him, asking where he was. 

He wasn’t shocked to get a response saying that he was out with Atsumu. Sakusa just wanted to make sure that they hadn’t gotten lost or anything, _not that he would admit that out loud._

“Come look at this,” Atsumu pats down at the empty space next to him. Hinata heads over to him, slumping down and stretching his legs out comfortably. 

“What is it?” 

“Mikhail Orlov,” he replies. “This is the guy I learned my third serve off.”

Hinata leans his head back against the pillow as well, Atsumu pressing play on the YouTube video. The two of them watch it together as Hinata quickly becomes in awe of Orlov. Not only were his serves efficient, but his defensive skills were top notch. 

But it’s not long before they’re eyes are glued to the second set of a match played between Poland and Russia from 2015. Atsumu is completely indulged in it when he hears small steady breathing next to him. 

His eyes shift from the screen to see Hinata fast asleep, mouth slightly parted and so close beside Atsumu that he can feel his warmth radiating. From the close proximity between his body and Hinata’s, Atsumu can see the few freckles on his face, glazen over from his now slightly faded tan. 

He doesn’t care about the fact that he’s staring at him for too long, Hinata was more interesting than the game regardless if he was sleeping. But it only takes a short while for Atsumu to set down his phone, rest his eyes and join Hinata in what looks like a very peaceful nap. 

A few hours later, Atsumu wakes to the feeling of a dip in his bed and the presence of the person sitting close by. Clearly Hinata had gotten up a while ago since he wasn’t dressed in a pair of gym shorts and t-shirt like before.

He was wearing casual going out clothes, ready to head off somewhere. Atsumu rubs his eyes and stretches his limbs. 

“What time is it?” He mutters, shifting under the blankets.

“Just gone six o’clock now,” Hinata replies.

Atsumu yawns, “oh shit. Where are ya headin’ off to?” 

“Kageyama just texted. He and I are gonna catch up over dinner before he heads back to Tokyo in a couple of hours. Want me to bring you some dinner?” 

Atsumu smiles tiredly, _“please an’ thank you._ Also, tell Tobio-kun I said _‘hi’_ an’ that we’re gonna kick their teams' asses again.” 

Hinata chuckles, “alright, I’ll let him know that. You want anything else while I’m out?”

“No thank you, see ya when ya get back, yeah?”

“Will do Atsu-san.”

 _“Atsu-san huh?_ I like it.”

“I can call you Atsu-chan instead if you want me to?” Hinata replies cheekily. 

“Call me whatever ya want,” Atsumu says. “Only _you_ get a free pass.” 

“Alright then _Atsu-chan_ , I’ll see you soon.”

It’s been a blast finally being able to sit down and talk with Kageyama. He’s been asking the same questions that everyone else has asked him but Hinata doesn’t actually get sick of it. He loved Brazil, he could go on about it for days. But Kageyama is the first to steer the conversation to more personal matters, specifically regarding...

“So, what’s up with you and Miya-san?” he asks out of the blue while reaching over for a gyoza. 

If Hinata had been expecting that question, he wouldn’t have choked on his water. In all honesty, he was expecting their conversation to run strictly along the lines of volleyball or just what they’ve been up to. 

Hinata clears his throat, “which Miya?”

“Don’t play dumb, you’re obviously not _that_ close with Osamu-san so it has to be the other one _obviously_ ,” he groans in annoyance. “Clearly I’m talking about Atsumu-san.”

“Oh, what about him?” 

“You two seem close,” Kageyama speculates. 

Hinata stuffs a dumpling into his mouth to postpone an answer. He doesn’t know why but he feels particularly... _odd_ talking about Atsumu with another person, especially Kageyama of all people. 

It’s not like he doesn’t _like_ talking about him or anything, it’s just he’s never spoken to anyone about it.

“Okay,” Hinata awkwardly replies.

Kageyama scoffs, _“okay?_ Is that _all_ you’re going to say? You guys aren’t dating or anything like that?”

“D-Dating?” Hinata stammers, eyes widening. “What makes you think that?”

“You know _exactly_ what makes me think that,” Kageyama says. “Even Ushijima-san reckons you two are dating.” 

“Ushijima-san knows nothing about it,” Hinata huffs. 

“I’m telling him you said that,” he taunts. 

“Like I care! I’ll tell Atsumu-san you said one of his sets to our captain could’ve been ten times better,” Hinata threatens him. 

Kageyama straightens up slightly, “like he’s going to believe you.”

“I dunno,” Hinata shrugs. “After all, you think that he and I are dating, so what makes you think that he _isn’t_ going to believe anything that I say.” 

“Whatever,” Kageyama narrows his eyes at him. 

“Aw don’t tell me you’re jealous Kageyama-kun,” Hinata teases.

“Like hell I’m jealous! I couldn’t care less, but Miya-san of all people...I just wouldn’t have expected that from you.”

Hinata raises a brow, “really?”

“ _Really_ ,” Kageyama confirms. “I expected it from _him_ of course, after that whole _thing_ at nationals in our first year.” 

“I see. Well, Atsumu-san and I aren’t even dating so don’t go getting the wrong idea,” Hinata tells him before he brings another dumpling to his mouth. 

“But you _would_ date him?” 

Hinata chews on that question. What would it be like to date Miya Atsumu? The _best_ , he thinks. Then again, it’s not like he _hasn’t_ thought about that question before...

He’s thought about it on multiple occasions, especially when he was overseas. The only person he was in constant contact with was Atsumu. Sure he was still connected with Kageyama, Yachi, Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi, but not as much as his new setter. 

“I mean, I’m not opposed,” Hinata mutters. “What’s it to you anyways?”

“Nothing, genuinely. I was just curious because well, he did sort of kiss you on the cheek after the game so that led me to believe.” 

Kageyama was right, Atsumu _did_ kiss him on the cheek but he hadn’t really put too much thought into it. Now it was just hard for Hinata to forget and most likely those few who would’ve seen it. He thought that it was just a spur of the moment thing. 

People in sports do that _most_ of the time as a platonic act. Like when footballers score the winning goal. Hinata and Atsumu were just overly excited to play, not to mention, they _won_ the match like they said they would. 

Later that evening before Kageyama went back to Tokyo, he swore revenge on Hinata who happily accepted the challenge. He texts Atsumu that he’s on his way back with some of the delicious ramen he ordered for himself at dinner, bringing it back up to his hotel room from the restaurant. 

“How was it?” Atsumu asks him after he opens the door. 

“Really good! Is Bokuto-san _still_ out?” Hinata can’t see him anywhere in the hotel room as he’s taking his shoes off in the genkan. 

“Ah yeah, he texted me sayin’ he’s comin’ back shortly though,” Atsumu replies. 

Hinata holds out the bag of food for Atsumu, “ramen.”

“Yer a blessin’, yer an angel, an absolute _godsend_ ,” Atsumu lists on about him as he sits down at the table, ready to dig in.

“Aren’t I?” He replies cheekily, sitting opposite him. 

“So, how is Tobio-kun doin’?” 

“Good as can be I suppose,” Hinata sighs. “We just talked about volleyball really, what I got up to in the last few years and what not. He’s going to play for another team next year.”

Atsumu went wide eyed with a mouthful of noodles, “oh?”

“Yeah, a team called Ali Roma in Italy.” 

_“Oh,”_ Atsumu’s pitch changed. “I can’t see him livin’ in Italy. Tobio-kun is so bad with maps that he’d get lost, plus does he even know Italian?”

“Not a word,” Hinata shakes his head. “He asked me to say something in Italian, thinking that it was the same language as Portuguese.”

Atsumu chuckles into his ramen, “why does that not surprise me?”

“Didn’t surprise me either, though I suppose he's trying to start somewhere.”

“What else did ya guys talk about?” 

_You,_ Hinata thinks to himself. The fact that people think they’re dating - _that even Ushijima Wakatoshi reckons they are too._

“Well _you_ were the center of the conversation at some point,” Hinata says vaguely yet honestly.

“When am I not?” Atsumu smirks.

“And that, Ushijima-san reckons that we’re-“

Hinata was cut right in the middle of his sentence by the unlock of the door as Bokuto follows in through. 

“I’m back!” He sings, voice ringing throughout the room. 

Atsumu tries his best not to groan _that_ much out loud. They only just sat down. As much as he loves Bokuto as a friend and teammate, he just wanted to spend some time with Hinata - regardless that they spend just about every second of the day together anyway.

“We can see that Bokkun,” Atsumu replies sarcastically. “How’s Akaashi-san?” 

“He’s doing well! I just sent him off at the station. He’s heading back to Tokyo now,” he responds after taking his shoes off.

“Really? Is that why you’ve got a few…” Atsumu taps an area of his own throat with his fingers, “...hickies?” 

Bokuto’s eyes went plate wide, quickly scrambling into the bathroom to frantically check in the mirror. To his surprise, there wasn’t even a _single_ mark on him - no remnants of a hickey whatsoever. _What a relief._

He pops his head out from behind the door, “I don’t have any hickies anywhere!” 

“I know ya don’t, but now I don’t need to ask whatcha got up to judgin’ by yer reaction. Plus, yer hair’s all messed up.”

Bokuto runs a hand through his black and and white spikey head of hair, sitting himself next to Hinata, “you’re exactly like Kuro you know!”

“Don’t compare me to that _con_ _artist_ ,” Atsumu hisses.

“I’m _so_ telling him you said that,” Bokuto huffs. 

“Anyways, what were ya sayin’ about Ushiwaka, Shoyo-kun?” Atsumu wants to get back on topic. 

“Oh nothing,” Hinata replies, trying to come up with something. “Kageyama told me that he reckoned we played a good game today.” 

_“Reckoned._ What the hell’s he thinkin’? Of _course_ we played a good game today,” Atsumu’s grip on his chopsticks pressed a little too firmly that the noodles broke at the end of the utensils. 

Bokuto scoffs, “ _he_ played a killer game today. But when does he not?”

Atsumu stares over at him, “are ya feelin’ okay or did Akaai-san fuck yer brains out? S’not usual fer Bokuto Kōtarō to admit that the southpaw played a _killer_ game.”

Hinata snorts and grimaces at the same time, “you’re _so_ vulgar Atsumu-san.”

“Only fer ya,” he winks across the table.

“I hate you so much right now,” Bokuto huffs.

“Aw, I thought I was yer favourite kohai?” Atsumu whines. 

“Well you thought wrong. Keiji is my favorite, _and_ Hinata because he’s my number one disciple.”

Atsumu chuckles, “so I’ve heard.”

“Alright, I’m gonna head to bed,” Hinata sighs, stretching his arms above his head. “We’ve had such a long day.” 

“I’ll see ya off at the door then?” Atsumu replies.

Atsumu would’ve liked for Hinata to stay a bit longer to talk, but he knows that he takes rest very seriously now. He doesn’t want to interfere with it and if anything, he feels like he should be doing the same. 

He didn’t _really_ need to follow Hinata out either. Atsumu could’ve just said _‘bye’_ to him there and then at the table. But instead, after Hinata chucks his shoes on and bids Bokuto a goodnight, Atsumu closes the door behind him as they stand in the hallway. 

“I don’t think I told ya today that ya played such a good game, though m’not surprised,” Atsumu says honestly. “M’proud of ya too.” 

Hinata shys away for a few seconds, his brain liquifying when he doesn’t know how to respond. Atsumu loves it when he gets all mousy like this. It’s like excavating a part of Hinata’s personality for himself that nobody else gets to see. 

“T-Thank you Atsumu-san,” hesitating with his words. Atsumu takes advantage of the situation.

“Yer cute when yer shy,” he teases in a sickly sweet voice. 

“Shut up and say goodnight to me already!” 

Laughing and not even thinking twice, Atsumu brings Hinata into his body. He luxuriates in the feeling of Hinata’s hands snaking around the small of his back just under his white t-shirt. Fingertips softly grazing over Atsumu’s skin at the band of his shorts. 

“See you in the morning,” Hinata mumbles into Atsumu’s body. 

He just hums in response, heavy eyes closing while his head rests on top of Hinata’s. They stay like this for a while until Atsumu realises that he should let him head off now. 

“Alright, don’t stay up too late yeah?” 

_“You_ don’t stay up too late,” Hinata says right back after they break off from one another. “Also, you’re sitting next to me on the bus tomorrow!”

“Wouldn’t wanna sit with anyone else.”

When Atsumu takes the card from his pocket and keys it in through the door to get back into the room, Bokuto is almost right in his face, too close for comfort. 

“What are ya...were... _were you spyin’ on us?!”_

“I wouldn’t call it _spying_ if your big head was in front of the peephole. But _Tsum Tsum,”_ he says in surprise. “You and Hinata seem really close.”

Atsumu walks around him and back to the table, “yeah? Well, we’ve known each other fer a while now.”

 _“I know that,_ but still. Looks like more than that if you ask me.” 

Atsumu freezes, “m’gonna hafta stop ya right there.”

“Is that so?” Bokuto smirks, rebelling against Atsumu’s wish. “Looks like you’re both physically close, you guys flirt like hell - _especially_ you, _not to mention that_ you kissed him on the cheek-” 

_“-I what?”_ Atsumu cuts him off. _“When?”_

“After the game! Don’t you remember? _Surely_ you would?” Bokuto laughs at him. 

He generally _doesn’t_ remember. Or, maybe he does? Trying to come down from the high of winning makes his mind hazy. He remembers Hinata jumping into his arms, but that was about it? 

“We’re jus’ _friends_ Bokkun,” Atsumu strains out through a mouthful of noodles. He just wants to go back to the warm comfort of eating his food. 

Bokuto slumps back into his seat, “okay then. Whatever you say.”

Yes _, friends._

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Atsuhina heart go brrr


End file.
